Fourth place means joining the Champions League qualifiers for landing a place in the lucrative group stage, but it would be uncharted territory for the city of nouveau riche and could still do better if they can leverage Arsenal's bad form to sneak into third. Therefore, it would be a blow for Spurs after such success in their first appearance in the competition and, with Liverpool hunting hard Europa League football yet to be confirmed.
City have the money, the players and the manager, but did not experience a struggle for success in the latter stages of the season. A 2-1 defeat to Everton at the weekend showed their vulnerability and they have struggled for form, without injured talisman Carlos Tevez. Argentina can return to prove his fitness for the FA Cup final against Stoke in their next game, but with the possibility of breaking their silverware drought for the first time since 1976, the focus of the city on the fourth place is naturally distracted.
Spurs have had an exciting season for their exploits in the Champions League, but lost points after European matches - including a 3-1 defeat at Blackpool and 0-0 draw with West Ham and Wigan. Their hopes of claiming a place in the competition next season revolve around Tuesday evening and are magnified by a record away against the city that sees its victory in six of their last seven games, while citizens have lost only two time this season at Eastlands.
A number of key players suffering injuries as Ledley King and Gareth Bale sees Spurs into the game under strength and a series of form which saw them win only one of their last nine Premier League games. However, despite their progress in Europe, their trip to the city is their biggest game of the season and they must be highly motivated to keep the good times ahead at White Hart Lane.
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